


A Girl Worth Fighting For

by REINDOWN



Category: Gintama, Mulan (1998)
Genre: Crossover, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:27:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23610775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/REINDOWN/pseuds/REINDOWN
Summary: Swap Mulan for the foul-mouthed Ginko and the stoic Captain for the chain-smoking Hijikata. That's it. That's the story. Enjoy the fluff.
Relationships: Hijikata Tenko/Sakata Ginko, Hijikata Toshirou/Sakata Gintoki
Comments: 6
Kudos: 53





	A Girl Worth Fighting For

Shouyo held the battle-worn hilt of his sword in one palm, running the fingertip of his other hand along the white sheen of the blade until it reached the tip. His sword felt heavier than ever. There was once a time where he had swung it as easily as a butter knife. That was many a year ago, however, and he had lost count of how many injuries had taken their toll. There was a permanent limp to his walk, a weakness he had no choice but to put on display with every jolted stride he took. Despite that, he had hung up his armour with pride and honour … he felt neither of those now he was forced to wear it once more. Though he steeled himself for war, a part of him knew that this would be his last.

He would not return home from this.

But fear was never a character trait he allowed himself to have and any trace of it was banished. Fear did not win wars. Fear did not save lives or make miracles. Fear would only make heavier his sword, and that was something he could not allow to happen. In the morning, he would set off for the main battle camp and return to fight a war he had thought over. He would remain stoic in his goodbyes to his family and most of all to his adopted daughter, Ginko. His heart ached with the knowledge that he would kiss her forehead for the last time. He hadn’t yet seen her suitor … he hadn’t seen her happily married, or seen his grandchildren … All those fears had to go. He was a warrior, once more, and warriors fought for their country.

He would miss her.

* * *

Ginko let the rain smear her make-up. The moonlight cast shadows of the towering statues surrounding her, lions and dragons morphing onto the ground and roaring into the night in cacophony with the boom of thunder. Her long hair was becoming tangled and damp, her fingers freezing and a slight shiver trembling her figure. It was a harrowing night, but nothing was worse than the thought of her father being dragged away from his walking stick and forced to hold a sword in those weak hands instead. It was grossly unfair; she despised the system and the imperial army – damn it all. Most of all, she hated her birth as a female: her skinny arms and her slight shoulders, her wide hips and the fragility of her body. If only she had been born a man. If only -

A spark of something ignited within her. She fled across the garden barefoot, churning the soggy grass and eventually leaving smears of mud across the wooden flooring of her home. There was something she could do, something only she could do. She lit incense and prayed, stole the scroll from the hands of her sleeping father and took his most precious possession to slice her hair off her shoulders. Each lock _thunked_ heavily as it hit the wooden panels. She admired her new look in the reflection of the blade – it was messy and that suited her just fine. Her face was still pretty feminine, but she'd have to make up for the rest with her acting. It took her longer than expected to don the heavy armour which seemed to crush her spine into her legs but once it was on, she found the mighty steed Sadaharu and swung up onto the saddle. This was it.

There was something empowering about this moment as she crashed through the gateway on horseback in the thundering rain, and though she knew the despair that her father would feel once he discovered her betrayal, she also knew that this was _right_.

* * *

_The sound of a gong rang through the temple, rising the spirits into the gathering of souls._

_“Kagura, awaken,” a booming voice called. The figure of a small girl stirred from stone and swelled into colour._

_“What the hell, old man,” she rubbed her eyes wearily. “I was having a good nap.”_

_“We will be sending you to fetch Ginko.”_

_“... That good for nothing, un-lady-like woman with a weird sugar addiction? Just leave her, she was a failure anyway.”_

_“... Kagura.” The man chided and with a huff, the girl got to her feet and snapped her fingers._

_“Best take on a better form then,” she announced as a cloud of smoke whirled around her. From within the cloud emerged a fire breathing dragon. “I best get a good reward for this!” She called on her way out of the temple._

_“’Bring her back’, who do those stinky old men think they are?” She picked a good bogey from her nose and smeared it on a passing statue. She heard the bounce of a cricket following her and narrowed her eyes. “What makes you think you're coming, megane?” The cricket squeaked at her indignantly and pushed up its glasses. “Anyhow. What worth is that stupid perm, anyway? Unless I bring her back a decorated war hero, she might as well get her ass kicked by the Huns.” The cricket grunted. “Wait a minute … You know what that sounds like?” She wiggled her eyebrows at the uncertain cricket. “A looot~ of sukonbu.”_

* * *

“Retrieve the arrow,” the Captain said, dragging on his pipe once more, smoke curling around his jagged features. He stood in just a pair of knee-length baggy trousers, a tight sash around his waist. Thick, dark locks were pulled into a high bun on his head, most of it falling apart in a mess around his face.

“I’ll retrieve the arrow,” Shimura Otano pursed his lips, rolling long sleeves above his elbows. “And I’ll do it with my shirt _on_.”

“Woah, you’re forgetting something,” Hijikata stalked over with two extremely heavy looking golden weights in his hands. “This,” he drawled, looking more interested in smoking his pipe than he was in training, “stands for discipline.” The gold coin _thunked_ to the floor, now attached to Otano’s arm which dropped with it. “And this,” Hijikata continued, “represents strength.” The second weight plummeted to the ground and left a dent in the soil. “You need both to retrieve the arrow.”

Ginko heard her fellow trainees giggle, knowing the task set was unachievable. Certainly, for her untrained body, it was impossible. She suddenly regretted years munching on sweets. Well, perhaps regret was a strong word. Regardless of the challenge, Otano approached the long wooden pole fixed to the ground. He looked up, and the enormity of the challenge seemed to dawn on him with the way he chewed his lip and cursed. But grit won out, and he launched himself at the pole, quickly latching on and shuffling a couple of meters up the pole. Shortly after, he was tumbling back to the bottom, face drilling the pole like a woodpecker.

One by one, they all failed as surely Captain Hijikata had expected them to.

As Ginko passed, rubbing her back in pain, Hijikata sighed in poorly concealed frustration. “We’ve got a long way to go. Let’s get down to business,” he announced. And you know the rest.

What followed was an inspiring demonstration of Hijikata’s strength which made the crowd _ooh_ and _ahh_ appropriately. Ginko was not ashamed to be staring fervidly at his rock-solid abs, though she found the emotion within her was jealousy, not attraction. She needed his skill to pull of this ruse of hers. If only she could shoot as straight and run as fast. Maybe there was a _little_ attraction – she shook her head, quickly, banishing the thought. All she needed in this conquest to save her homeland was a stupid _crush_.

Part way through sword practice, Ginko felt a shudder down her spine as someone dropped a critter down her top. She barely held back a squeal, wriggling furiously to rid herself of it and simultaneously knocking everyone within 5 meters of her onto their backs. Hijikata stalked over, spitting out his pipe, his eyes narrowed aggressively. He caught the training pole in her grasp and dragged her close enough to his face that she could taste the smoke on his breath. For a second her heart stopped – he was close enough to see through her disguise. From this proximity, his eyes were a stunning blue and burned with the irony only ice could. She tried not to allow her eyes to bulge, telling herself to appear masculine. _Narrow your eyes, thin your lips, no blushing._

“Stop fuckin’ around,” he finally announced, dropping her to the floor.

Now that she’d properly caught his eye, the Captain would keep glancing over at her, disappointment ever heavy on his brow. When she dropped the bucket of water balanced precariously on her head, drowning herself from head to toe until her thick curls unravelled, sure enough – he was watching. When she missed the targets with her arrows, he curled his lip. When she swept another trainee off their feet mistakenly, the rest tumbling like dominoes, Hijikata sighed.

Finally, she felt it would be her chance to show him in hand-to-hand combat. She’d trained hard, and it wasn’t something completely new to her. Shoyou had taught her, though he mainly declared that it was not a woman’s job to defend the household – ironically, she was seeing first-hand that this was not true. She lifted her hands, trying to show more confidence on her face than she felt. One look at his face shattered all her bravado in a second. There it was again, that look of ... pity?

_I’ll show that bastard._ She thought. _I am not something to be pitied._

His hand whizzed past her face before she realised that she had dodged it, and quickly prepared to counterattack whilst he was close. She ducked, rolled and struck his gut with one palm. He barely even reacted. In the meantime, he was back on balance and ready to launch a counterattack of his own. Her hands flew to her face, just in time to protect her from a palm strike that would have landed right on the nose. His hands hit so hard that she knew they’d leave bruises on her arms.

_Shit. A man of his stature and weight … how is a female ever to compare? Unless she had trained for her whole life, unless she were naturally larger … is it really impossible for us?_

She gritted her teeth, so frustrated at her lack of power that it drove her on. Slipping forward past his guard, she tried to land an elbow on his cheek. Whatever level of power she put in, an elbow was pretty nasty to receive. He blocked. She pushed him back with both palms until he stumbled a pace away. In a split second, he’d shifted onto one foot and struck her shin with his heel. A yelp erupted from her mouth, but she refused to show pain. _Again_ , she thought. Once more, she was in close, his sweat glistening on his chest just inches from her face. She was near enough to strike once more and brought a knee up to get him in the groin. He sensed her intentions immediately, pulling her in close to a bear hug that restricted her movement. He squeezed hard and she felt the air choke out of her.

“Gah!” she spluttered for breath. Immediately, he pushed her back and delivered a final kick that sent her tumbling away. She rolled to a stop on the ground and heaved, groaning. That might have bruised a rib or two.

If she couldn’t fight him like a man, she’d have to fight him like a woman. If she couldn’t beat him with strength and weight, what else did she have?

* * *

One evening when the moon was out bright in the night sky and a blanket of cloud was swept aside by the incoming strong wind, Ginko left her tent with her bathing kit. She blew a stray curl from her eyes – her hair was getting long again. It would need cutting soon. She’d started to wear it in a high bun like many of the other men, but she feared it would show too much of her feminine face. It was a wonder she’d lasted so long unnoticed.

She shivered, not looking forward to bathing on a night like tonight where the trees howled, and the sand whipped up into your eyes. She’d much rather bathe in the daytime when the sun was still in the sky. For obvious reasons, this would never happen. For a brief moment, she wondered if she’d ever stop this pretence. She’d probably die before she got to return to her family. Living her life as a lie … well, at least that meant nothing really changed. She’d played happy families with someone who wasn’t her real father up until now and tried to please a family that wasn’t hers by acting in a way that wasn’t how she really felt. She’d covered herself in makeup and let people trap her natural curls into tight hairdos. She’d spent many an evening staring wistfully at the sky, wondering about her future.

As she looked to the stars once more, a figure high on the hill above camp caught her eye. The Captain was perched on the rocks, head in hands, alone. His torso heaved a sigh. And for once, he seemed human.

* * *

The training seemed relentless. Even though her mind could keep up and she was so strongly motivated to succeed, her body was failing her. Under the weight of two sandbags that the rest of the trainees were now easily hauling up the mountain, her legs failed. She told herself to keep going, closing her eyes to the ever-increasing distance between her and the group. She could not fail. And yet her knees knocked together, threatening to collapse.

“Get going,” she ordered herself. Her back screamed in agony, ripples of cramp hitting her thighs. “Get going!”

The rest of the group disappeared over the next slope and that gave her the final drop of motivation she needed to take a further step. As soon as her foot edged forward though, her body finally crumpled under her. She fell, the yoke across her back pinning her to the floor. She gasped. She could not let her body give in here. If she allowed herself a second of rest, who knew if she could kick her engines back into gear again or if her body would shut down. Just as she shuddered onto her knees under the weight, suddenly it was gone.

Looking up, her eyes met with Hijikata … and the look of pity once more. He wore her yoke across his back with his own, never faulting under the strain.

“Fuck,” she cursed.

When finally, they reached camp at the foot of the mountain, Captain Hijikata threw the yokes to the floor and stormed in her direction. The rest of the group jolted and watched nervously. She straightened as much as she could, and tried that face again – narrow eyes, straight lips, no blushing. This could not be the end of her journey. If she was sent home, her father may yet be called to fight. And even if not, the shame would be too much for her family to live with. She realised that this was the last chance.

Hijikata loosened a horse from where it was tethered on his path over to her. Her heart sank. Without so much as a glance in her direction, he handed her the reigns.

“Go home, Sakata Gintoki.” He turned his back to her, and she was glad; she could no longer control her expression. “You’re done here.”

The busy training camp seemed to empty completely within a minute, until it seemed only Ginko and the horse remained. She squeezed her eyes shut. She had to think of something. This could not be the end. Although, she was never going to be a man. She would never grow another foot in height overnight, she wouldn’t stack on muscle half as fast, and these men had been encouraged all their lives to fight and endure. She’d only even begun a few months ago. Had this been a pointless endeavour from the very start? She could cut her hair and change her name, but her heart and body remained a woman.

_So?_ Her subconscious said. _Then fight like a woman-aru._

The towering pole focused in her vision, the arrow still firmly in place at the top. At the bottom rested the two gold weights and although many had tried, they had not yet succeeded. No one had.

_You think it’s only men that win wars?_ The voice in her head said, and it was surprisingly critical. _Use what you have, not what you don’t, stupid-perm._

She didn’t wonder too long on the perm comment, instead pacing slowly over to the pole with bright, wide eyes. She felt in a trance. Night was beginning to creep in. The horse snorted at her, as though voicing her doubts as she picked up the weights.

_Use what I have?_

She grinned.

* * *

Morning arrived and the Captain dragged himself from his quarters, ready to head to the river for a morning shave to get rid of the stubble he’d acquired overnight. The morning was cool, yet the sun was already beaming in through the gap in the tent entrance. He cast the material aside, squinting in the sudden light. He could hear cheering. The men were excited about something.

“How about this then, Captain?” a voice called from high up. He couldn’t see from this angle; the sun was too bright. Spotting a shadow to his right, he aligned himself and tried again. The silhouette of a slight figure perched atop the pole. With a _shhk_ , an arrow pierced the ground at his feet. The figure was grinning sadistically. “Who’s done here, eh?”

* * *

It was like everything suddenly fell into place for Ginko. She was stronger than before, that was for sure – the training hadn’t done nothing. But she was finding ways to adapt and use the assets she had, rather than try find one she did not possess. She learned to shoot an arrow like a bird of prey finding its target. Her martial arts developed in a way she had not been taught, using her partner’s size and weight against them. She’d slip away from their attacks with her slight frame, then throw them using their own momentum. With a few night-time sessions, her strength improved too and soon she was running with the rest of them.

The best thing to change was Hijikata’s expression. Instead of the look of pity, an expression of wonder was ever present on his features. For someone that always seemed miserable, it was refreshing to see bewilderment widening his eyes. Especially when she had him pinned beneath her.

“How-?,” he stuttered, shortly after a sweeping kick of hers had landed him on his back. She sat atop his stomach, pinning his arms above his head. A broad, toothy grin leered over him.

“Fight with what you’ve got,” she shrugged. “Not what you haven’t.” She fully intended to leave him pondering that vague but impressive-sounding bite of wisdom when he grabbed her wrist and stopped her from pulling away.

“You’ve done great, Gintoki,” he said.

_Small eyes!_ She thought. _Thin lips, no blushing!_

* * *

Finally, they were moving forward towards the battlefield. Elsewhere she knew her countrymen were fighting the cause, and patchy reports came on horseback to their location – if the messengers could find them. Eventually they were too far forward for the messengers to reach them, and they couldn’t spare any riders to go back. From now on, they were on their own. The enemy could be anywhere.

Ginko waded through water, hoisting her heavy sword overhead. They were all exhausted, having walked everyday for a week from morning until nightfall through tough terrain. They’d scaled mountains, sometimes having to tip-toe on cliff edges with the packs on their backs threatening to pull them from their unsteady perches. They had chopped down fallen obstacles in their path and moved heavy boulders. Their feet ached, their bodies were sore and chafed from their armour and each step led them only forward – maybe not even closer. The enemy’s location was unknown. They couldn’t even dream of their journey ending around the next corner.

Otano grunted loudly, blowing air through his lips in frustration. “When will this end?” he said. “At this rate, I’d love to see the enemy.”

“Think of something worth fighting for!” Nobumo cheered. “Like, a girl worth fighting for!” The whole group appeared to cheer immediately.

“One who laughs at all my jokes?” Otano pondered aloud, scrambling out of the river with a helping hand from Ginko. “Even if they aren’t funny.”

“Or one who can cook!” someone else chimed in, mouth watering.

“With voluptuous curves.” Someone added and they all nodded.

“But still thin. Vulnerable and delicate.”  
“She’s chatty.”

“But she listens when I speak. She’s shy.”

“But feisty in bed!” someone else guffawed.

“She will be young and attractive!”

“Not too young, obviously.”

“Mature, but innocent.”

“Yes, and she relies on me.”

“How about,” Ginko interrupted, her lips pursed tightly. “a girl that’s got a brain?” There was a silence; the cheering had stopped. “Someone that speaks her mind.” She continued. There was a snort, and Ginko glanced sharply at Hijikata. He was grinning. She frowned, unsure what he was smiling so playfully at.

“What sort of weird women are you into?” Nobumo dismissed haughtily and the men began to chortle once more. The end of a sword tapped her helmet playfully and she scrabbled to keep it on her head.

“Bet the local ladies thought you were quite the charmer, pretty boy!” Otano jostled her roughly until she nearly stumbled off the path. With a huff, she stormed in front of the group, continuing the walk alone.

All of a sudden, the front man of the procession halted and shouted for the Captain. His smile vanished. The reigns grasped firmly in his hands, he kicked his horse into a gallop and met the men at the front of the marching troops. Ginko found herself running after him, the scent of smoke finally reaching her nostrils.

The horizon was on fire.

Captain Hijikata signalled them all to continue carefully. The flames were fading into ashes, whipped away by the cold wind. The remains of a village crumbled around them. Ginko strained her ears for survivors, but her heart wasn’t in it. Her instincts told her that no-one had survived this particular attack. They split up and Ginko ducked under an archway to continue the search, her heart heavy. Her eyes spotted a small figure on the ground. She picked up a doll, its fringes somehow unsinged by the flames. Beside her, Captain Hijikata swung down from his horse. He took in the limp doll in her grasp and his eyes lowered.

“I don’t understand.” His hands fell by his sides. Nearby, there was a crash softened by the snow as the archway tumbled. “My brother should have been here.”

“Captain!”

Mulan discarded the doll and chased after Hijikata, who sprinted towards the voice. They rode the crest of a hill, finally able to see the true destruction that awaited them. Their army’s flags were scattered across the plain, along with hundreds of dead soldiers underneath, slowly being buried by the falling snow. Ginko shut her eyes to the scene. So many lives lost. When she opened them again, her eyes looked to the Captain. He was searching for something.

A soldier approached, his head bowed. In his hands was the helmet of a General. Hijikata took it. He was pale as a ghost. His cape twisted around him in the strong wind. Distressed, he carried the helmet away from the gathering crowd of troops. Ginko watched him go, sadly. When he met the cliff’s edge, he laid the helmet atop his sword and bowed low. A minute or so had passed and Ginko could stay still no longer. She strode out to the Captain, snow sucking her down with each step till flurries of flakes toppled into her boots. He must have heard her coming, as Hijikata finally stood, his face unusually unreadable.

“I’m … sorry.” Ginko said. She had thought she would have something more comforting to say. In the end, what more could be done now? He moved to walk past her, but paused, resting a hand on her shoulder. The hand said, ‘thank you’. The face said nothing.

With a graceful leap, he swung himself into the saddle of his horse. “Oi, you bastards,” he called, voice barely audible over the whistling winds. “Move out.”

* * *

Ginko felt a rumble through her feet. She stopped. The man walking behind cursed her as he nearly tripped in the snow. She listened intently, closing her eyes. All she could hear was the sound of their horses, the cart rolling on. She concentrated harder, trying to block out the noises of everyone around her and find that rumble again.

“Gintoki?” The sound of Hijikata’s horse beside her was a distraction. She kept her eyes tightly shut. Was it nothing? No, she definitely felt something. The rumble came again and this time she could tune her ears into it.

“Enemy,” she whispered, eyes shooting open. “To the left!” Hijikata’s eyes widened. He searched the landscape with keen eyes.

“Are you sure?”

“I can hear it!” She confirmed. “Let me up!” With a kick, she hoisted herself onto his horse’s back to allow her to see better.

“What are you-,” his voice caught in his throat as the whistle of an arrow sounded. Ginko turned in time to see him topple from the horse, the arrow embedded in his shoulder.

“Hijikata!” She cried, but had no chance to react before hundreds of enemy soldiers rose on their horses and began the stampede towards them. Her breath hitched. Hijikata was already on his feet, hissing orders through gritted teeth.

“The cannons!” He cried, ripping the arrow from his skin. “Get the cannons!”

Ginko leapt from the horse, reacting quicker than anyone else and zigzagging to the carts. She scrambled for a cannon, struggling to pull it lose. Otano was soon beside her, helping her free it from the cart. Eventually they lined it up.

“You bastards, unsheathe your swords!” Hijikata called, unsheathing his blade with a flourish. “If we die, we fucking die with honour!” His men yelled in chorus. “If anyone runs here, seppuku!”

“Ready to fire!” Otano called.

“Aim the cannon at Shan Yu,” Hijikata commanded and Otano adjusted the aim. Ginko felt useless. What could she do? How could she help?

_Fight with what you’ve got._

Her eyes followed the curve of the mountain, latching onto a sheet of ice high above. She had an idea. It was crazy, but crazy was all she had right now. Sprinting for Otano before he could fire, she pushed him out of the way and hoisted the cannon onto her back. _Now for all that bull-shit training to come in handy_ , she thought. The cannon was still ridiculously heavy and the thick snow capturing her boots made it difficult to move. Her knees wanted to fold. With a grit of her teeth, she dashed out towards the enemy.

“Gintoki!” Hijikata bellowed. “Gintoki, come back!”

She ignored him, hurtling down the slope to Shan Yu whose snake-like eyes grinned wildly. His sword aimed for her throat. Seconds before her head was to be decapitated, she ducked and planted the cannon in the snow, taking aim and –

“You missed?!” The voice in her head screamed incredulously. “How did you miss from that distance, you sugar-loving, perm-headed, good-for-nothing-,”

The rocket continued on its intended course, spiralling up to the top of the mountain and lodging itself with a small explosion of colour. After a rumble, the mountainside began to move. Shan Yu heard the thundering of an avalanche and turned on his horse, just in time to see the snow flood over his men, dragging them under its belly as it raced onwards, consuming all in its path. Shan Yu, furious now, turned back to Ginko with a murderous expression.

“Time to go!” She said, legs spinning under her in an effort to find purchase on the snow. Before she managed to escape his reach, Shan Yu cut her down with a slash that skimmed her chest from shoulder to gut. It barely grazed, but the wound was deep enough to draw blood. Plenty of it. She fell to the floor, raising her head just in time to see the wave that was about to engulf her.

Miraculously, less than a minute later she awoke on the hillside. Her lower body was submerged in the snow and she had to wriggle to free herself, fighting against the frozen paralysis of her legs. Her breath was short and gasping. She felt a sheen of sweat freezing on her forehead. Her legs wouldn’t take her weight. She heard a murmur, and two blue, piercing eyes awoke beside her.

“Gin… toki,” Hijikata said, his eyes full of amazement. “You are the craziest man I’ve ever met. I owe you my life.”

There was no time for a witty retort. Her head was hazy now; she wouldn’t be able to conjure one if she tried. In the distance, somewhere far away, people were cheering her name. She couldn’t respond.

“Gintoki? What’s wrong?”

She clasped her stomach and felt the warmth of blood trickle through shaking fingers.

“He’s wounded!” Hijikata exclaimed. “Get help!”

She looked up, feeling confused. The world in her vision was fading, figures moved but she couldn’t hold onto any thought for more than a second. In the centre of her vision, those piercing blue eyes spoke to her. “Gintoki. Hold on!”

She could not.

* * *

She awoke to those same blue eyes … and yet this time the expression had completely morphed. Now, he looked at her with anger. Disgust. Betrayal.

“Hijikata!” She called, her voice horse. He regarded her coldly, then began to turn. “Toshiro!” She cried, desperately.

The Emperor’s Advisor grabbed her roughly by the arm and hoisted her up. She grasped at the sheet covering her, now completely conscious that she was wearing only trousers and the bandages holding her chest flat. She was dragged out of the tent and tossed into the snow. She moaned, holding her stomach, feeling the eyes of the other soldiers firmly upon her.

“She’s a woman!” The Advisor scorned. “Treacherous snake!” But she didn’t care about him or his words. Her future was walking away from her. Her last chance had his back turned.

“My name,” she said through gritted teeth, “is Ginko. And I did this for my father!”

“Treason!”

“I didn’t mean for it to go this far.”

“Ultimate dishonour!”

“It was the only way!” She spat back, rising to her knees, her eyes fixed on the Captain. “Toshiro, believe me.” His head turned; however, his eyes never rose from the floor. He kept his back to her. The Advisor stalked to his side and muttered in his ear. Hijikata nodded, slowly. He took his sword from its sheath … and turned.

As Hijikata towered over her, his eyes icy-cold and sword gripped tightly in his hand, Ginko’s father flashed before her eyes. _Ultimate dishonour._ She thought. At the end of the day, this is all she amounted to. She lowered her head, resigned to her fate at last.

The sword clattered to the ground in front of her.

“A life for a life,” Hijikata said, pulling out his pipe and lighting it. He drew a breath and let go of a twirl of smoke. “My debt is repaid.”

The remainder of the army reluctantly readied the horses and prepared to move out. Shivering in the snow, Ginko watched Hijikata lead the troops away, leaving her behind and alone.

She wondered how ever she could face her father again. Her family would be shunned. Most of all, she had proven them all right – anyone who had told her to put on a pretty face, be graceful, learn to cook, become a good wife … they had been right. That seemed to be the only way she could live without dishonouring herself, even though she’d desperately tried to prove otherwise. However, as she walked back to the disgraced life she once led, she encountered a site that would turn her on her heels, towards the city once more.

Shan Yu. He was alive.

* * *

Hijikata had not heeded her warning. Could she expect him to? He believed her a liar, and the crease in his brow when she tried to speak to him spoke of the hurt and betrayal he was feeling. Now, because once again she had failed to be useful, the Emperor was trapped with Shan Yu in the castle and the enemy had taken over control. Putting recent events aside, she and the other soldiers had managed to infiltrate and were fighting with the enemy in the entranceway. She deftly dodged a swing from one of them, wrapping herself around his neck and squeezing until he choked. With a few further hits to his skull, he collapsed to the floor. She pressed on, taking on the next one, distantly aware of Hijikata fighting beside her.

They finally reached Shan Yu and soon Hijikata had him pinned to the floor, throwing punches at his head with bared teeth. Shan Yu had the weight advantage, and soon flipped himself on top, pummelling Hijikata’s stomach. He wasn’t having any of it, quickly slipping out of the lock and twisting Shan Yu’s arm behind his back. Help arrived just in time.

“Nobumo, get the emperor!” Ginko yelled, rushing to aid them escape. The emperor was hauled away and down a makeshift zipwire from festival banners to the safety of the castle grounds where her fellow soldiers awaited. They called for her as Shan Yu cursed, once more dominating Hijikata with his weight. Hijikata fought to free himself, just as Shan Yu cracked their skulls together with a sickening sound. Hijikata tottered on his feet, clearly dazed. Next, he was hoisted into the air and flung across the room until he collided with a pillar, which knocked him straight out. Shan Yu was not finished with him.

Ginko had a choice. Escape down this wire or make certain that Shan Yu could not follow the emperor. She chose to cut the wire loose and Shan Yu cursed her, his attention switched now. While he was distracted trying to reach for the falling rope, Ginko rushed to Hijikata’s side and shook him. He stirred, slowly returning to consciousness but there was a growing bump on his forehead and the taste of blood in his mouth.

“You!” the grotesque and angered figure gargled, sauntering over to them both with deadly intent.

“Catch me if you can, ugly!” Ginko yelled, running past him for the stairs. Hijikata blinked away stars, trying to follow but his legs would not obey. Shan Yu roared, animalistic in his rage. Sure enough, he followed her.

She fled down the steps, taking two at a time and nearly stumbling at the bottom. Her feet skittered on the marble floor. She ran to the left, dodging the swings of Shan Yu’s sword that came dangerously close to her.

“What’s the plan, you crazy perm?” The dragon on her shoulder chirped. Ginko pointed through an open window.

“That’s the plan, strange dragon thing that I’m going to pretend I can’t see!”

“Oooh, I see-aru,” the dragon said. “Gottchya. Come on, useless four-eyes.”

The crash of a sword splintering wood sent Ginko scampering away again, narrowly missing the blade by her ear. She had to get him onto the roof. Leaping through the next open window and grasping onto the roof tiles, she prayed she had the strength to pull herself up before that sword nicked her flesh again.

“Behold, lowly humans!” The dragon thundered as it descended on the watchtower. Said humans flinched, horrified. “Time to blow the bloody doors off.”

Ginko was thankful for her slight frame, which allowed her to scamper quickly onto the rooftop and gave her time to work out the trajectory of the cannons. She lined her fingers with the cannons and squinted. Shan Yuu didn’t afford her any more time, already on her with a bloodthirsty pant to his breathing. He raised his sword.

“Looks like you’re out of crazy ideas,” Shan Yuu smirked.

“Not yet!” Ginko retorted, whipping out a fan as Shan Yuu lunged at her. “Fight me like a woman!” The moment his sword pierced the fan, she closed it and twisted sharply. The weapon span from his grasp and suddenly, she had hold of it.

“Figment of my crazed illusions,” Ginko yelled, “are you ready?”

“Neo Armstrong Cyclone Jet Armstrong Mark II is ready for blast off!” The dragon affirmed, and fired.

Shan Yuu was propelled by a blast of fireworks, exploding with them in a flash of bright and beautiful colours. “Time to goo~!” Ginko yelled, the fireworks already licking her clothes. She dashed away, leaping from the roof and grasping desperately for another of the festival wires, spiralling down it until she reached the castle grounds. A kaleidoscope of colours erupted in her wake. On landing, she took out Captain Hijikata who had been running towards the commotion. They tumbled to the ground, Ginko allowing her exhausted body to roll limply across the tiles.

“Another big bang in a very public place,” the dragon mused, laughing to itself as it rolled beside them.

Ginko gave herself a few seconds to let the stars fade from her vision. She had a headache coming. Underneath her, Hijikata began to sit up. She forced herself to wriggle onto her knees, glancing up at him with apprehension in her eyes. Hijikata stared back, absolute awe written on his features.

* * *

Newly acquired coin of the emperor hanging from her neck, Ginko approached Hijikata. This was it; this was goodbye. Their relationship had been so up and down, it was hard to know what expression to wear on her face. She settled for a sly grin.

“What d’ya think, Tosshi?” She held the coin so that it glinted. “Not so bad for a woman, ay?” Hijikata did not reply, though his mouth opened like he wanted to. With a scratch of his neck, he decided to pat Ginko lightly on the shoulder.

“Ah, uh, well done. You, ah, fight good.”

“Fight with what ya got,” she shrugged, reaching up to finally let her hair lose around her face. She felt like herself again. She was at last allowed to be herself, and she’d even been rewarded for it. Despite all this happiness she felt, there was a bitter taste in her mouth. She wanted to go home, but she did not want to say goodbye to this man.

“Then, I’m heading home,” she said, passing him reluctantly to swing into the saddle of Sadaharu.

“Uh, yeah,” he stammered again, stepping as though to follow her. He stopped abruptly. “See you.”

He watched her disappear into the gathered crowds in the castle, her back straight, head held high, the sword of Shan Yuu sheathed at her hip.

“The flower that blooms in adversity,” the emperor coughed for attention, his tone knowing and slightly teasing, “is the most rare and beautiful of all.”

Hijikata couldn’t help but agree.

* * *

Back home in the family garden, blossoms shook on the cherry trees in the gentle breeze. Their petals began to fall, swooping in wide arcs towards the tall grass. Ginko froze, the enormity of her return suddenly hitting her when the figure of Shoyou reached up to grasp one of the petals in his fingers. He lowered it, and pensively stared at the blossom. She took a few steps forward, the sword of her enemy clutched in her sweaty palms. As she approached, Shoyou stood abruptly and gasped her name. “Ginko!”

“Father,” she began, her mind whirring. She couldn’t meet his eyes yet. She didn’t know how he would react. She presented the sword in outstretched arms. “I brought you the sword of that ugly guy who attacked China.” Suddenly feeling that a sword wasn’t enough, she unravelled the coin around her neck. “And this gold thing from the top brass. We could probably get a few bucks on ebay for-,”

“Ginko!” Shoyou’s smile reached all the way up to his ears. He tossed the gifts aside. “I don’t need these.” He wrapped her in his arms. “I’m so glad you’re home.”

“I worked my ass off for those hunks of metal,” Ginko complained, lightly, squeezing her eyes shut so that she didn’t cry. “Don’t just toss them aside, stupid old man.”

“She brought home some useless junk,” Otose complained to Catherine, dragging on her pipe. “She should have brought home a hunky officer, if you ask me.”

“Excuse me,” a voice said, the sound of armour clinking behind them. They turned, Otose’s mouth hanging open so that a cloud of smoke puffed away. “Does, ah, Ginko live here?”

The man was tall, had dark hair swept into a high bun and the most piercing blue eyes. His jawline was jagged, cheek bones high, face a perfect ivory to contrast his dark locks. A battle scar split his eyebrow. His expression was aloof, a helmet tucked under one arm. In his other hand was a pipe, and he dragged one last time on it, smoke curling into the air. Otose pointed wordlessly in Ginko’s direction. Immediately, he passed them in the direction she had been pointing. Catherine and Otose watched on with wide, disbelieving eyes.

Shoyou spotted the newcomer approach across the grass and turned to greet him. Hijikata’s step faltered and he bowed low. “Shoyou, I’ve heard a lot about you. My name-,” his voice caught as a slight shape cocked her head at him. “Ginko!” He spluttered. “Ah! Here’s your helmet.” Where were all the words he had practiced on the way here? They escaped him now, seeing her dressed not in armour but in a traditional female Cheongsam. He began to splutter mindlessly, until Shoyou nodded to Ginko and started to leave. Ginko stepped forward, immediately cutting off his splurge of nonsense.

“At least ask me out for dinner,” she grinned. Hijikata relaxed.

“If you’re paying.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was intended to be a one-shot style story, short and sweet. I could have fattened this out of course, but I just wanted to create something short, sweet and true to both stories. Hope you enjoyed! 
> 
> I've considered doing Anastasia next, one of my favourite films of all time. For more of my work or to request something you want to see written, go to my tumblr: catharsis-reindown.tumblr. Password 'rain'. You don't need a tumblr account to see it.


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